Plastic explosive Plastic explosive is a specialised form of explosive material. It is soft and hand malleable and may have the added benefit of being usable over a wider temperature range than pure explosive. Plastic explosives are especially suited for explosive demolition as they can be easily formed into the best shapes for cutting structural members, and have a high enough velocity of detonation and density for metal cutting work.
	Plastic wrap Plastic wrap, known as cling-film in the United Kingdom, is a thin polymer material, approximately 0.13mm thick, typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh. The wrap, typically sold on rolls in boxes with a cutting edge, clings to many smooth surfaces and can thus remain tight over the opening of a container with no adhesive or other devices.
	Plastination Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to conserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most microscopic properties of the original sample. The technique was invented by Gunther von Hagens when working at the anatomical institute of the University of Heidelberg in 1978.
	Plastron The plastron is the nearly flat part of the shell structure of a tortoise, what one would call the belly, similar in composition to the carapace; with an external layer of horny material divided into plates called scutes and an underlying layer of interlocking bones. In certain families there is a hinge between the pectoral and abdominal scutes allowing the turtle to almost completely enclose itself.
	Plat A plat consists a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drew township plats to show the distance and bearing between survey corners, and sometimes included topographic or vegetation information. City, town or village plats show subdivisions into City block with streets and alleys.
	Platanaceae Platanaceae is a family of flowering plants. It has been recognized by almost all taxonomists, and is sometimes called the "plane-tree family". The APG II system of 2003 allows the option of including it in the family Proteaceae, or treating it as distinct as a segregate family.
	Platanthera bifolia The Lesser Butterfly-orchid is an orchid in the genus Platanthera, having certain relations with the genus Orchis, where it was previously included and also with the genus Habenaria. It can be found throughout Europe and Morocco. The name Platanthera is derived from Greek, meaning "broad anthers", while the species name, bifolia, means "two leaves".
	Platanus The genus Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole members of the family Platanaceae. They are all large trees to 3050 m tall, deciduous, and are mostly found in riparian or other wetland habitat in the wild, though proving drought tolerant in cultivation away from streams.
	Plate armour Plate armour is personal armour made from large metal plates, worn on the chest and sometimes the entire body.
	Plate tectonics Plate tectonics is a theory of geology developed to explain the observed evidence for large scale motions within the Earth's Crust . The theory encompassed and superseded the older theory of continental drift from the first half of the 20th century and the concept of sea floor spreading developed during the 1960s.
	Plateau bg:????? ca:Altipl da:Plateau de:Hochebene es:Meseta fi:Ylnk fr:Plateau ko:?? it:Altopiano nl:Plateau ja:?? ug:???????? pl:Plaskowyz pt:Planalto sv:Plat tr:yayla zh:??
	Platelet *Clotting factors thrombin, factor IX, factor X, factor XI, factor XII *Nucleotidases by breaking down ADP
	Plateletpheresis Plateletpheresis is the process of collecting platelets, the components of blood that are involved in hemostasis. It can be a life-saving procedure in preventing or treating serious complications from bleeding and hemorrhage in patients who have disorders manifesting as thrombocytopenia or platelet dysfunction.
	Platform bed Platform beds are beds whose base consists of a raised, flat, hard, horizontal surface meant to support a mattress. Platform beds provide firm cushioning and with the support of slats, they eliminate the need for a box spring or a mattress foundation; they give adequate support for a mattress by itself.
	Platinum Platinum is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. A heavy, malleable, ductile, precious metal, grey-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits.
	Plato Plato , whose real name is believed to have been Aristocles, was an immensely influential ancient Greeks philosopher, a student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens where Aristotle studied. Plato lectured extensively at the Academy, and wrote on many philosophical issues, dealing especially in political philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
	PLATO PLATO was one of the first generalized Computer assisted instruction systems, originally built by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and later taken over by Control Data Corporation, who provided the machines it ran on. PLATO ran for many years at the U of I, but CDC President William Norris' plans to make it a major force in the computing world and a keystone of corporate social responsibility failed.
	Platonic solid In geometry, a Platonic solid is a convex set regular polyhedron. These are the three-dimensional analogs of the regular polygons. There are precisely 5 such figures . The name of each figure derives from the number of faces in each — which are 4, 6, 8, 12, and 20 respectively.
	Platoon A platoon is a military unit. In an army, a platoon is a unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant assisted by a non-commissioned officer. A platoon is formed by at least two section or squads and is smaller than a company.
	Platte River The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 310 mi. long in the western United States. One of the most significant river systems in the drainage basin of the Missouri, it drains a large portion of the central Great Plains in Nebraska and the eastern Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming.
	Platycerium Platycerium is a genus of fern in the Polypod family, Polypodiaceae. Ferns in this genus are widely known as Staghorn or Elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely-shaped fronds. This genus is epiphytic and is native to tropical areas of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Guinea.
	Platypus The platypus is a 39–60 cm long, semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia and Tasmania, and one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay egg instead of giving birth to live young . It is the sole extant representative of its family and genus , though a number of Monotreme#Fossil Monotremes have been found, some of them also in the Ornithorhynchus genus.
	Play A play is a form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than Reading . However, many scholars study plays in this more academic manner, particularly classicism plays such as those of William Shakespeare .
	Playbill Playbill is a monthly United States magazine for theatregoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most Playbills are printed for shows playing at a particular theatre, mainly on Broadway theatre. Articles within the Playbills change monthly to reflect new shows and artists performing in plays, musicals or special attractions.
	Playboy Playboy is an United States adult magazine entertainment magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, reaching into every form of media. Playboy is one of the world's best known brands.
	Player piano The player piano is a type of piano that plays music automatically without the need for a human pianist. Instead, the keys are struck by mechanical, Pneumatics or electrical means. The player piano was most popular in the first half of the 20th century, roughly at the same time as the acoustic phonograph.
	Player Piano Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut first novel, was published in 1952. The dystopia story takes place in a near-future society that is almost totally mechanized, eliminating the need for human laborers. This widespread mechanization creates conflict between the wealthy upper class?the engineers and managers who keep society running?and the lower class, whose skills and purpose in society have been replaced by machines.
	Playground A playground is an area designed for children to play freely. Modern playground often have recreational equipment such as the see-saw, merry-go-round, swing, slide, climber, walking bridge, jungle gym, chin-up bars, sandbox, monkey bars, overhead ladder, trapeze and trapeze rings, playhouses, and maze, many of which help children develop physical coordination, strength, and flexibility, as well as providing recreation and enjoyment.
	Playing card A playing card is a typically hand-sized piece of heavy paper or thin plastic used for playing card games. A complete set of cards is a pack or deck. Playing cards are often used as props in magic , as well as occult practices such as cartomancy, and a number of card games involve gambling.
	Playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in Playboy magazine. The centerfold/gatefold Miss month is known as Playmate of the Month. The PMOM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, as well as a short biography and the "Playmate Data Sheet", which lists her birthdate, measurements, turn-ons, and turn-offs which are always in the same handwriting.
	Playtime Playtime was French director Jacques Tati's fourth major film, shot between 1964 in film and 1967 in film and released in 1967. In Playtime, Tati's character M. Hulot and a group of American tourists lose themselves in a futuristic glass-and-steel Paris, where only human nature and a few hints of old Paris emerge to breathe life into the city.
	Plaza * for the hotel, see Plaza Hotel Plaza is a Spanish language word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be incorporated in a wing of a governor's palace, and the audiencia or law court.
	Pleasure craft A pleasure craft is a boat used for personal recreational or sometimes sporting purpose. Typically such watercraft are motorized and are used for holidays, for example on a river or canal. Pleasure craft are normally kept at a marina. They are not necessarily designed for speed.
	Plecoptera Plecoptera are an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. There are some 1,700 recorded species worldwide. The nymphs are aquatic and live in the benthic littoral zone of lakes and streams. Nymphs of this order are primarily hunters of other aquatic arthropods or shredder/gatherers.
	Plectranthus Plectranthus is a genus of warm-climate plants, closely related to Solenostemon, sometimes known as the spurflowers. Several species are grown as ornamental plants, as leaf vegetables, or as root vegetables for their edible tubers. Plectranthus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Engrailed.
	Plectrum A plectrum is a device for plucking or strumming a string instrument. In guitars, banjos, and similar instruments, the plectrum is a separate tool held in the player's hand. In harpsichords, the plectra form part of the mechanism of the instrument.
	Pleistocene The Pleistocene epoch is part of the geologic timescale. The name of the pleistocene is derived from the Greek pleistos and ceno . The Pleistocene follows the Pliocene epoch and is followed by the Holocene epoch. The Pleistocene is the third epoch of the Neogene period or 6th epoch of the Cenozoic era .
	Plesiosaur Plesiosaurs were carnivore aquatic reptiles. After their discovery, they were somewhat fancifully said to have resembled . The common name 'plesiosaur' is applied both to the 'true' plesiosaurs and to the larger taxonomic rank of Plesiosauria, which includes both long-necked and short-necked forms.
	Plesiosauria Plesiosauria are an Order of Mesozoic marine reptiles. They first appeared in the middle Triassic Period and became especially common during the Jurassic Period, thriving until the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous Period.
	Plesiosaurus Plesiosaurus was a large, marine Sauropterygian reptile that lived during the early part of the Jurassic period, and is known by nearly complete skeletons from the Lias of England and Germany. It was distinguished by its small head, long and slender neck, broad turtle like body, a short tail, and two pairs of large, elongated paddles.
	Pleuronectidae Righteye flounders are a family, Pleuronectidae, of flounders. They are called "righteye flounders" because most species lie on the sea bottom on their left side, with both eyes on the right side. Their dorsal fin and anal fins are long and continuous, with the dorsal fin extending forward onto the head.
	Pleurotus Pleurotus is a genus of Gilled mushrooms which includes one of the most widely eaten mushrooms, the oyster mushroom. External links * on the Illinois Mycological Association site
	Pleven yrillic=??????| CoatOfArms=Pleven-gerb.gif| Size=107px| Map=Pleven location in Bulgaria| Oblast=Pleven Province| Population=138,139| PopDate=2006-03-14| Altitude=116| PostalCode=5800| AreaCode=064| LicensePlate=EH| Latitude=43 25'| Longitude=24 37'| Mayor=Nayden Zelenogorski (Union of Democratic Forces)see List of mayors of Pleven|
	Pliers Pliers are hand tools, designed primarily for gripping objects by using leverage. Pliers are designed for numerous purposes and require different jaw configurations to grip, turn, pull, or crimp a variety of things. They are a tool common to many dexterous trades and occupations. Many types of pliers also include jaws for cutting.
	Plinian eruption Plinian eruptions are volcanic eruptions marked by their similarity to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, which was described in a letter written by Pliny the Younger and which killed Pliny the Elder. Plinian eruptions are marked by columns of smoke and ash extending high into the stratosphere.
	Plinth In architecture, a plinth is the lower mouldings of a podium, pedestal or skirting, or a block or slab upon which a column, pedestal, statue or vase is based. In the classical orders it is the square block of moderate height under the base mouldings of a column or pedestal.
	Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus, better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient author and natural philosopher of some importance who wrote Pliny's Natural History. He believed that "true glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".
	Pliocene The Pliocene epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.3 million to 1.8 million years before present. The Pliocene is the second epoch of the Neogene period of the Cenozoic era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene epoch.
	Ploce Ploce is a town and a notable seaport in the Dubrovnik-Neretva county of Croatia, population 6,537 (2001), total municipality population 10,834 (2001). Absolute majority of its citizens are Croats with 95.12% (2001 census). Ploce is located on the Adriatic coast just north of the Neretva river delta and is as such the natural seaside endpoint of most north-south routes through the central Dinaric Alps.
	Plotinus Plotinus was a major philosopher in the ancient world and is widely considered the father of Neoplatonism. Much of our biographical information about him comes from Porphyry 's preface to his edition of Plotinus' Enneads. His metaphysical writings have inspired centuries of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Gnostic metaphysicians and mystics.
	Plotter A plotter is a vector graphics computer printer that connects to a computer. Plotters print their output by moving a pen across the surface of a piece of paper. This means that plotters are restricted to line art, rather than raster graphics as with other printers.
	Plough The plough is a tool used in farming for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. Ploughs are also used by industry underseas, for the laying of submarine cable, as well as preparing the earth for side-scan sonar in a process used in oil exploration.
	Ploughman's lunch A ploughman's lunch is a cold snack or meal, featuring at a minimum, a thick piece of cheese, Pickling, crusty Bread roll or chunk of bread, and butter. It is often accompanied by a green salad; other common additions are half an apple, celery, pt, sliced hard-boiled egg or beet.
	Plovdiv Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, with a population of 376,918. It is the administrative centre of Plovdiv Province in southern Bulgaria, as well as the largest and most important city of the historical region of Thrace, famous for its ancient and diverse culture and millenary history.
	Plover Plovers are a widely distributed group of wader birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.
	Plowshare In agriculture, a plowshare is the cutting or leading edge of a moldboard which closely follows the coulter when plough. The plowshare itself is often a hardened blade dressed into an integral mouldboard so making a unified combination of plowshare and moldboard, the whole being responsible for entering the cleft in the earth and turning the earth over.
	Plugboard In cryptography, a plugboard was a component of certain rotor machines, including some Enigma machine models, that exchanged letters of the alphabet, thereby increasing the key size of the resulting cipher.
	Plum "Plum" is also a nickname for British humorist P.G. Wodehouse. A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and the side buds solitary , the flowers being grouped 1-5 together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one side, and a smooth stone.
	Plumage Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a number of different colour morphs.
	Plumbaginaceae Plumbaginaceae is a family of flowering plants, with a cosmopolitan distribution. The family is sometimes referred to as the leadwort family or the plumbago family. Most species in this family are perennial plant herbaceous plants, but a few grow as lianas or shrubs.
	Plumbaginales Plumbaginales is an order of flowering plants. The order is recognized by several list of systems of plant taxonomy, such as the Wettstein system, last revised in 1935, the Engler system, in its update of 1964 and the Cronquist system, 1981. Its circumscription is typically:
	Plumbago Plumbago is a genus of 10-20 species of flowering plants in the family Plumbaginaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. Common names include plumbago and leadwort. The name Plumbago is derived from Latin plumbum, either from the lead-blue flower colour of some species, or from the plant at one time being a supposed cure for lead poisoning.
	Plumber's snake A plumber's snake is a flexible auger used to remove clogs in plumbing that cannot be loosened with a plunger. Most devices consist of a coiled metal wire with space between the coils at the end. The other end is attached to a device with a crank that rotates the wire as it moves down into the pipe.
	Plumbing Plumbing, from the Latin for lead , is the skilled trade of working with pipe and Tubing for potable water systems and drain lines. Plumbing originated during the ancient civilizations such as Roman, Persian, Indian, and Chinese civilizations as they developed public baths and needed to provide fresh water and drainage.
	Plumbing fixture A plumbing fixture is a device which is part of a system to deliver and drain away water, but which is also configured to enable a particular use.
	Plumcot Plumcot is a hybrid between Prunus armenica x Prunus domestica. The fruit has the smell of an apricot and the flavour of a plum. The fruit can be eaten fresh or used in to make jam. A plumcot is a hybrid fruit created by Luther Burbank by crossing an apricot and a plum. Similar hybrid fruit are marketed today under the name pluot.
	PLume Plume is an electronic/punk band formed by Lucas and Catherine Tizon, and originally based in London. Their collaboration is the result of Lucas' love of industrial sound, sound-engineering and his eclectic production technique. The band is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.
	Plumeria Plumeria is a small genus of 7-8 species native to tropical and subtropical Americas. The genus consist of mainly deciduous shrubs and trees. P. rubra, native to Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela, produces flowers ranging from yellow to pink depending on form or cultivar.
	Plunger A plunger is a common device used to release stoppages in plumbing. Officially known as a "hydroforce blast cup", it consists of a rubber cup with an attached stick, usually made of wood. The cup is pushed down against the drain, and either pressed hard into the drain to force air in, or is pushed down until the rubber cup is flattened, then pulled out, causing a vacuum.
	PLUS PLUS is an interbank network that covers all VISA credit, debit, and prepaid cards, as well as ATM cards issued by various banks worldwide. Currently, there are one million PLUS-linked ATMs in 160 countries worldwide. It is the world's leading payment brand. PLUS cards can be linked in the following ways: as a standalone network, linked with a local interbank network and/or linked with any Visa product displaying the Visa flag on the front.